Judge George 'Woody' Clarke, DNA expert dead at 61

Judge George "Woody" Clarke, a DNA expert and trial lawyer who helped prosecute O.J. Simpson, died Tuesday. He was 61.

Clarke died after battling cancer for several months.

Clarke spent 21 years working in the district attorney's office, where he handled a number of high profile cases. He was an early proponent of using DNA as a forensic tool.

"Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Woody stood out as a kind man who brought that genuine, caring spirit into every aspect of his life," District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said in a statement. "He was truly one of the good guys and he will be missed by a great many people in the District Attorney's Office, the Superior Court, and the legal community here in San Diego and across the nation."

Clarke became a nationally recognized expert who was called on by prosecutors across the country to assist in DNA cases, including O.J. Simpson's double-murder trial in the 1994 slaying of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles.

In 2003, he was appointed to the San Diego Superior Court bench by Gov. Gray Davis.